Kona Cotton: The Quilters & Embroiderers Dream Fabric

What, Exactly, Is Kona Cotton?
Kona(R) cotton is a premium, 100% cotton broadcloth from Robert Kaufman Fabrics in Los Angeles. The company introduced the fabric in the 1980's in response to the then rapidly emerging quilting industry, an interest that continues unabated today. It is a soft, light fabric, often called the 'Quilter's Cotton', that is also ideal for fine apparel such as children's clothing; soft, comfortable shirts; dresses; applique and home decorating. It has a 'meaty' hand, which means you can really feel the difference when you touch the fabric and that makes it a joy to work with.
Warps. And Wefts, Too
Kona cotton has a high 60 by 60 thread count. This means there are 60 warp threads and 60 weft threads per square inch of fabric. Until I did some research, I didn't know what warp and weft threads were. (I had never even heard the word 'weft'.) A warp thread is a support thread in the loom, long and strong and usually tied down onto the loom; a weft thread is passed back and forth between the warp threads to form cloth. It is that high thread count, all those warps and wefts playing together, that make Kona cotton a soft, light, yet very durable material; one of the best woven fabrics available for hand or machine quilting.
Pre-use Care
It's a good idea to launder the fabric to remove any sizing/finish before using it in your project. Treat it as you would any new 100% cotton fabric: Gentle wash, mild detergent, tumble dry low, remove promptly and iron. Expect about a 1-3% shrinkage.
What About Color?
Kona is available in plenty of colors, 170 solid colors according to the manufacturer's web site, RobertKaufman.com. And a quick search for 'hand dyed Kona cotton' will pop up vendors offering hundreds of colors and patterns of beautifully dyed Kona cotton fabric.
But Aren't You an Embroiderer?
Yes, I am a machine embroiderer and those same qualities that make Kona cotton ideal for quilting and sewing apply to machine embroidery, too. That meaty feel I mentioned makes it very easy to hoop and quick to stabilize. The push/pull factor is minimal and, best of all, the stitched out designs are gorgeous on it. Even though there a many cheaper fabrics, I test all my embroidery designs on Kona cotton and turn to it first for any finished embroidery project I have.

Embroidery design digitizer Deb Schneider offers her machine embroidery designs on her website, WindstarEmbroidery.com.

You can contact Deb by visiting her website or by email at dschneider@WindstarEmbroidery.com

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Crafts-Hobbies Information:

Related Articles

Easy Crafts for Kids - Help with Learning
According to the research on child cognitive development, making use of basic easy crafts for kids can stimulate their mental growth and enhance the learning process. Since early times, mankind has always known that early crafts for kids taught some important lessons.
Collectible Action Figures - Is About Fun Memories And More Money
Superhero action figures first stormed the doors of department stores and toy stores nearly 35 years ago. Constructed of various kinds of plastic and clothed in uniforms, costumes and capes G.
Woodworking: The Best Wood For Beginners
Woodworking: Know Your WoodWood is made of cellulose fibers, held together with a property called lignin, and is classified as hardwood or softwood, depending on the type of tree from which it comes. In addition, sapwood or new growth wood on a tree is still alive, while heartwood refers to the part of the tree that is no longer functioning.
How to Make Sea Shell Candles
Collecting sea shells along the beach is a favorite kids summer activity. Take it one step further by transforming their seaside treasures into beautiful decorations or kids make-and-take party favors.
Pagan Crafts
Greetings to all Crafty Pagans,Witches and those who want to learn Pagan crafts.The purpose of this is to provide doable crafts and to create crafts and tools that will have your positve energies that will enrich your power while performing rituals or spellworks and in your every day life.
How to Make Gel Candles - 11 Easy Steps
Do you love burning beautiful, scented candles? And do you know that you can easily make them yourself? It is exciting and not at all difficult. Here are 12 easy steps to creating unique candles that you can burn at home, give as gifts, or even sell.
World Skills & Learning About Old World Skills
There was once a time when almost everyone acquired, or knew how to do a practical skill of some kind, they were special skills, which most people used throughout life. They just became second nature.
A Few Tips About Comic Book Backing Boards
Comic Book Backing Boards come in different thicknesses and acid-free properties. The basic purpose for using a backing board is to give the comic some stiffness, which helps keep the comic pages from bending, creasing or wrinkling.
Amish Furniture for Kids Summer Projects
Summer is coming, and the kids will soon be out of school. Mom's and dad's everywhere will soon here "I am board; I don't have anything to do.
The Proper Use of Comic Book Supplies Will Help You Maintain a Top-Notch Collection
If you want to keep your comic book collection in tiptopshape, comic book supplies will become part of yourcollecting life. As soon as a magazine is printed there arenatural environmental forces going to work to try anddestroy the ink and the paper.
Embroidery Machine Use by New Owners for Good Results
Many new home embroidery machine owners have to learn on their own with little instructions and thus have to resort to the "trial and error" methods to get satisfactory results. One can certainly learn to embroidery this way but it takes time, money and patience.
A Look at Cloisonné Lapel Pins
Cloisonné lapel pins are the most traditional, if not the most collectible of the lapel pin types. Most of the older lapel pins are either die-cast metal or cloisonné.
Sewing Embroidery Designs in New Ways
How many of you are always looking for new ways to use your embroidery designs - always, or never? If never, you are overlooking wonderful opportunities! Do you optimize the use of every design? Do you routinely review your library of designs to see if you can combine motifs from one set with another? Have you noticed how embroidery design styles have changed over the past few years? Give those old motifs a new look by using the designs that you got way back when, again! Add new motifs under, or around, them to create a whole new look! My last big project, a wind jacket back, is a good example of what anyone can do with a little time and imagination!With fall already upon us, I wanted something tropical in my wardrobe as it's still every where in ready-to-wear & home dec. The colors are just as exciting as leaves turning colors.
You Are A Diamond So Scrapbook About Yourself
As a devoted scrapper, you probably gain satisfaction from scrapbooking about others.Oftentimes, you are the one glaring missing light in your scrapbook albums.
Rubber Stamps : 10 Great Tips For Making Multiple Cards
You know the feeling. The kids have tons of demands, vacation is just around the corner, that big project at work is eating all of your free time.
Origami Instructions
Origami is a fantastic art form that guarantees hours of fun and enjoyment, not to mention a great way to challenge yourself and build your creativity. However many beginners come across trouble in 2 main areas:1.
Antiques From Europe...Is It Really The Goose That Layed the Golden Egg?
Many dealers and auctioneers have been bringing container loads of antiques from Europe for years now. The lure of getting "fresh to the market" antique furniture and "smalls" is something that can bring renewed excitement back into your antique business.
Rubber Stamps and Scrapbooking - Keep Kids Busy with Crafts This Summer
They're out of school and back to torment the neighborhood this summer. You remember the days.
Getting Rid of Messes and Mistakes in Your Scrapbooks
No matter how careful you are, you will undoubtedly find a mistake, mark, or mess on your finished scrapbook page. This is just part of the process of making a scrapbook.
Build Your Own Bar Stool (In An Afternoon)
Bar stools are as important as the best wine in your bar. It is said that if you don't get a good stool to sit on, you won't enjoy the drink.
>